


Horses & Hormonal Teenagers

by spacey_boo



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Sports, Background Relationships, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Emo Keith (Voltron), Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Gay Keith (Voltron), Horseback Riding, Horses, Keith and Shiro are Siblings, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rivalry, Slow Burn, Texan Keith (Voltron), everyone rides horses, the lions are horses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-11
Updated: 2017-05-14
Packaged: 2018-10-30 19:01:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10883010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacey_boo/pseuds/spacey_boo
Summary: After having been caught by the police for the umpteenth time, Keith Kogane is forced back into a world he thought he had left for good.Alternatively: The horse riding au that no one asked for





	1. Emo Keith

**Author's Note:**

> So,,,,,,welcome to my first ever fic!!  
> I've tried writing others before but they never got to the point where I thought I could show them to the world and actually be proud of them.  
> I'm not exactly sure about where I'm going with the rest of this but I'm really passionate about this story so far so I guess we'll see^^  
> Anyways, please enjoy!!  
> ((and feel free to criticize and point out mistakes))

“Dude, seriously fuck off,” Keith growled, placing both hands on the guy’s shoulders and pushing hard. He couldn’t even remember his name, let alone why he was hanging out with him and his friends. It was a stupid decision anyways.

The guy stumbled back a few steps, his face turning an angry shade of red. “You want to fucking go, Kogane?” He lifted his fists, bouncing back in forth in a way that showed he was clearly copying from boxing movies. Keith doubted the guy had even been in a real fight before; everything about him screamed that he came from some rich family and got everything he wanted when he wanted it. His two idiot friends--more like minions--gasped in the background and started chanting like a bunch of monkies.

Keith rolled his eyes, leaning down to pick up his BMX bike. He was done--he was going home. But this, apparently, was the wrong move to make because as soon as he stood back up again, the guy slammed his fist into Keith’s face. It wasn’t the worst punch Keith had ever taken but fuck did it hurt. He could already feel a bruise swelling up on his cheek his teeth must have cut his inner cheek because the metallic taste of blood was already filling his mouth.

Keith faintly registered the two in the back screaming excitedly before he made his own move. A shame, really. He had been planning to let the guy off easy. His own fist made contact with the guy’s stomach, forcing an awful gagging sound from his throat. He fell to his knees, struggling to breath with the air having been knocked out of him.

However, Keith didn’t have much time to relax because the street was soon flooded with the sound of police sirens. Shit. Someone must have seen them and called the cops. Keith steadied his bike again, hopping on it and trying to get the fuck out of there. He couldn’t afford another encounter with the cops.

“Thomas! Get up, dude! We have to go!” he could hear one of the guy’s friends urging behind him. Keith didn’t bother turning around.

He pumped his legs as fast as he could, making sharp turns between alleyways and side streets in hopes of losing the sirens which seemed to be getting closer with every passing second. His heart was racing and his breath began coming in short, frantic gasps. He internally cursed himself for not staying in shape through the past years. He knew he was doomed before he even began to slow down. Nonetheless, he still put up a fight until he found himself trapped between the cop car and a fence that he knew hadn't been there before. Someone must have decided to do some construction recently. Fuck them.

“Get off the bike, kid,” came a voice over the intercom. Keith groaned but, seeing as he had nowhere left to run, obeyed the order.

 

* * *

 

“Third time this month,” the cop whistled lowly, breaking the silence. “You tryin’ to set a record or something?”

“Not exactly,” Keith said under his breath, crossing his arms over his chest. He pressed the side of his forehead against the cool glass of the window.

The cop hummed, tapping her fingers against the steering wheel like she was considering his response. “Look, Keith, you could get in serious trouble for this. Three strikes and you're out, ya know? You might be able to get outta juvie this time but I sincerely doubt that you're gettin’ out scot-free.”

The car rolled to a halt in his house’s driveway. Keith could see the familiar shape of his mom sitting on the front steps. He suddenly wished that he was actually going to jail. Anything would be better than having to face his mom after this.

“The sheriff has already called to inform your mom about the situation. Good luck, kid. Hopefully we won't be seein’ each other any time soon.” Keith nodded in response, pushing open his door.

His mom only regarded him with a tired look when he finally dragged his feet over to the front door. The two remained in a tense silence as they entered the house, Keith’s mom leading them to the kitchen table and gesturing for him to take a seat with a faint nod. She brewed up a cup of tea, adding more sugar than she normally used. He was not offered a cup. He hadn't expected to be.

“Keith,” she sighed out finally after a couple sips. She rubbed her temples with her index fingers. Now that she was in her late forties, her hair had begun greying rapidly. Keith suspected that he might be the cause. “You know I love you, right? That I try to do best by you?”

Keith remained silent but supplied a nod.

“Well…” she trailed off, drowning another sip of tea before continuing. “As long as the Reynolds family doesn't decide to press charges-”

“Press charges?” Keith scoffed. He was silenced almost immediately by the look his mom shot him.

“As long as the family doesn't press charges,” she continued. “I was given a few options of what you could do to get out of a criminal record. I already decided on one. You'll be going to VRA tomorrow morning.”

Keith felt his stomach drop at those words. “VRA as in Voltron Riding Academy?” He asked slowly. When his mom grimaced in response, he knew he was right.

“What?! You can't do this to me! No, I'm not going. You said you were given a choice! What are the other options? I'll do anything!”

“Keith, my hands are tied here. I don't know what to do with you anymore,” she said, her hands now tangled in her hair as she massaged her scalp. She took a moment to speak again. “You had such a future in front of you, you know. I had such high hopes for what you might become. You had a talent with those horses. I don't understand why you have that all up for… for this. You could do so much better.”

“Don't,” Keith hissed. “Don't act like what happened is my fault.”

“I'm not trying to blame anything on you,” she continued, fixing him with her tired eyes. Had her bags become darker? Guilt suddenly began to eat away at Keith. “Please, just give it a shot. I already packed your bags. Please just, just try to get some sleep. It's going to be an early morning tomorrow.”

With this, she disappeared into her room. Her cup was left forgotten on the table, still half full. Keith didn't bother to get up.

 

* * *

 

His mother was the one to shake him awake in the morning. He peeled his face off of the table, stretching to rid his back of the kinks that had developed overnight from his awkward sleeping position. His gaze drifted over to where his mom was now standing by the front door, a suitcase in each hand.

“Shiro is waiting outside.”

That caught his attention. “Shiro?”

“He volunteered to drive you,” she offered, avoiding eye contact as she pushed the door open.

Keith paused for a moment, glancing downwards to see that he was still wearing the dirtied clothes from last night. He debated changing for a moment, or at least brushing his rat’s nest of hair before he realized that all his things were probably already packed. He gave a defeated sigh, eventually following after his mom.

He found her leaned against the side of a familiar old red pickup truck along with Shiro, smiling widely. Shiro always had that effect on their mom. She was at her happiest when he was home. Keith couldn't blame her; Shiro was like a beacon of light in their family.

“How's everything been in Austin?” Keith heard his mother ask as he approached. She had a hand on the shoulder that Shiro’s prosthetic arm was attached to. Keith sensed that they’d recently separated from a long hug.

“It's been incredible,” Shiro beamed. He always became excited when talking about his work. “Really hard, you know with the long days and tough work but it's always fulfilling. I think we have a real chance of getting a rider into the Grand Prix this year.”

Both pairs of eyes turned towards Keith when he got closer.

“Keith,” Shiro greeted, sounding almost relieved to see him. He took a step towards Keith, closing the distance between them and wrapping him up tightly in his arms. “It's great to see you.”

Keith let himself relax, gripping onto the back of Shiro’s shirt with his fingers. No matter the circumstances, he was always happy to see his older brother. It had been nearly a year since he'd seen Shiro in person, even though it didn't feel nearly that long with the weekly skype calls he insisted on making. Every Saturday at exactly 10:00 am.

“Well,” Shiro said, finally pulling away. He reached out, placing a hand on their mother’s arm. He offered her a closed mouth smile. “We should probably get going. It's going to be a long drive.”

Their mom nodded. Keith could see the beginning of tears welling up in her eyes. “Yeah, of course,” she said. Keith started making his way to the passenger's seat when she caught his elbow, pulling him into an embrace.

“You behave now, you hear? Shiro will be reporting back to me. I won't hesitate to drive down there if I hear you've been acting up.” He nodded, biting his bottom lip. She rustled his hair before letting go, wiping her eyes with her forearm. “You both take care, alright? Drive safe.”

She shut the door behind Keith, giving it a few pats before stepping away. Shiro gave a salute, starting up the truck and pulling out of the driveway.

 

* * *

 

With the departure, they set off on the four hour journey from Sweetwater to Austin. Shiro had turned on the radio to some country station which Keith absolutely despised but didn't have enough energy to switch. Besides, Shiro seemed to like it if his bobbing head was anything to tell from. Keith leaned his head back, propping up his feet on the dashboard. He doubted Shiro would mind. The old truck was already extremely dirty. How long had Shiro owned this truck? It must have been around three years now. Though, the truck itself was much older than that.

“Are you ever gonna sell this piece of junk?” Keith questioned absentmindedly, picking at a piece of leather that had begun peeling off of his seat.

“Never,” Shiro grinned, giving the steering wheel a pat for good measure. “As long as Ol’ Betty can still roll down the road, I'm staying loyal to her. We've got a lotta history, me and her.”

Keith glanced over at him, examining his expression. He wasn't sure what he was looking for but, whatever it was, he didn't find it. “Whatever.”

The two fell back into a comfortable silence. That was the thing about spending time with Shiro--they never had to be speaking to enjoy each other's company. Keith was hit with a wave of nostalgia from riding in this car again. A few years ago, back when everything was still normal, the two of them used to ride in this car all the time. They were usually also accompanied by another person but Keith didn't want to think about that now.

“So,” Shiro began again after possibly half an hour of silence. “I heard you got into a fight again.”

Keith blew a stray piece of black hair out of his eye. “Yeah, well, it happens.”

He could see Shiro furrowing his eyebrows out of the corner of his eye. “It shouldn't,” he said, frowning. “You know that, right? You could have seriously gotten hurt. You're lucky you walked away with only a bruise. guess I just don't understand-”

“Yeah, I get it,” Keith interrupted. “I already got the whole you used to be such a good kid speech from mom.”

Shiro sighed. “You're not a bad kid, Keith. You've just gotten a little lost. I think VRA will really help you get back on track.”

“Whatever you say, Shiro.”

“I mean it,” Shiro caught his eyes in the rear-view mirror. “I really think this will be good for you. You're going to love it there. I think you'll really like Allura, too.”

“Allura?” For some reason, this name sounded familiar to him. He was sure that Shiro had never mentioned her before, though.

Keith must have had a look on his face because Shiro grinned. “Yeah,” he chimed. “She’s the head trainer of VRA now that Alfor’s retired. She used to be a barrel racing champion a few years back.” That must have been it. Back before his life went to shit, Keith seemed to know everybody in the horse world.

Keith made note of how Shiro’s grin turned giddy as he talked about her. It made him wonder just how much he had missed of his brother’s life during the past year. He always felt like he was kept fairly up-to-date but now he was questioning it.

“She's great,” Shiro continued, his expression quickly becoming dreamy. “She only did barrel racing competitively but she really knows her stuff, you know? I just have a feeling that you're gonna love her,”

“Well, it certainly sounds like you love her,” Keith teased.

“What? I-I, um,” Shiro stammered, his face quickly turning tomato red. Keith snorted, raising an eyebrow and silently challenging Shiro to deny it. “I-it's not like that! She's my boss, Keith. I just, I just really respect her.”

Keith hummed in response, closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the seat. He decided to leave the topic alone, mentally making a note to investigate further later. “Sure, Shiro.”

Shiro cleared his throat, regaining his composure before speaking again. “Anyways, I want you to really try to make the best of this situation. Please just… try to play nice. I know you don't want to be here but don't take it out on the other riders. Give VRA a chance at least. Who knows? You might even make a few friends.”

“I'm not exactly good at making friends, Shiro,” Keith said slowly, peeling an eye open to look at him.

“You don't have to be,” Shiro said. “Just try. That's all I'm asking for. Now, why don't you try to get some sleep before we get there. You look exhausted.”

“I didn't sleep very well last night,” Keith mumbled an explanation, shifting so he was facing the window and closing his eyes once more. Shiro simply hummed in response, turning up the country music station again.


	2. Allura is Terrifying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith has an unexpected reunion.

Keith was woken up abruptly by the car jolting, signifying that they were turning down a dirt road. He groaned, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hands. What time was it? He glanced down to check, momentarily forgetting that the truck’s clock had long since stopped working. What a piece of junk. He couldn't grasp why Shiro was so keen on keeping this thing around.

“Good timing,” Shiro chuckled, slowing as he continued down the dirt road. “We’ve just about arrived.”

Outside his window, Keith noticed the giant oak and elm trees beginning to thin out. It only took a few seconds for the trees to disappear entirely. He slumped in his seat, a frown tugging on his lips as they pulled up to a large building. Large letters spelling out VRA hung above the main entrance.

“You ready?” Shiro asked once he had pulled the keys out of the ignition.

“I guess I have to be,” Keith said. Shiro reached over, giving his shoulder a pat and offering an encouraging smile that said ‘you'll be fine’. He really doubted that.

 

* * *

 

Shiro had decided that after putting away the suitcases, the best way for Keith to settle in quickly was to give him an unofficial tour of the place. Honestly, Keith had to admit he was at least a little impressed. The entire academy took up almost a square mile of area, not including the massive pastures it had for turning out horses. It had multiple indoor and outdoor rings, many of them containing at least one rider.

“And this,” Shiro said, pushing open another door and leading Keith inside. “Is the stable that you will be using.”

That perked Keith’s curiosity. Did they already have a horse picked out for him? He glanced at Shiro for any indication of an answer but Shiro simply smiled at him and kept walking down the corridor. Keith trudged on behind him, glancing back and forth between the wooden stalls.

Shiro halted in front of one of the last stalls, tapping on the wooden door with his prosthetic hand a few times to grab the attention of a mare inside. The chestnut holsteiner--Keith recognized the breed since he had ridden quite a few in the past--raised her head lazily from the feed bucket to look at the two before going back to eating, clearly uninterested.

“This here is VA Rojo, or Red as we call her,” Shiro leaned over the gate, giving the mare a good pat. She didn't even spare him a glance this time. “Allura picked her out for you. She's a great jumper but she's definitely going to be a challenge for you.”

Keith shifted his eyes from the horse and back towards Shiro, wanting more of an explanation when he noticed that another figure had joined them. He hadn't heard her approach, even though her heeled riding boots definitely would have made some noise on the concrete floor. She offered him a polite smile, sticking out her hand. Keith glanced at it for a second but did not take it. It didn't seem to bother her; she simply let it drop to her side.

“You must be Keith,” she greeted, her voice catching him off guard. It was rare to hear any accent other than American in Texas, let alone the posh British one she possessed. She turned towards his brother, placing a hand on his shoulder and smiling wider. “I’m glad to see you two made it.”

“Thanks for the consideration,” Shiro smiled bashfully. Keith could practically see the hearts in his eyes. It made him want to gag.

Keith quirked an eyebrow at the two. Maybe Shiro’s obvious crush wasn't all that unrequited. Before he could make any further observations, though, Allura turned back towards him. She was obviously trying to involve him in the conversation. He could also feel Shiro silently urging him on.

“Yeah,” he offered. They fell into an awkward silence for a minute, Allura obviously having expected him to say more.

She eventually cleared her throat, turning away. “Well, uh, you better get changed. I'll be expecting you for a lesson in around 5.”

“About that,” Keith hummed, picking at the frayed ends of his leather biker gloves. “I might have accidentally destroyed all of my riding clothes. Also, thanks for picking out a horse and all but I really am not planning on riding while I’m here.”

“Keith,” Shiro warned softly.

Allura’s expression hardened, all traces of the friendliness she had been full of before disappearing. “I suppose you can start tomorrow morning, then. However, if you really think you can get out of riding while you’re here, you’re sadly mistaken. This is my academy. My academy, my rules. And if you don’t want to follow my rules, I will gladly give a little call to the police department and we can have you sent off to jail by the end of today. How does that sound?”

Keith hated to admit it but he found Allura extremely intimidating, even at her stature of what could only have been 5’5” at most. She also had the clear advantage in this situation. He huffed, sticking his hands in the pockets of his torn up skinny jeans. “Fine, whatever. Don’t expect me to enter any competitions or anything.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” she smiled, clearly forced. “Shiro showed you around already, I presume?” He nodded. “Excellent. I expect you to be in the main ring by 6 am sharp tomorrow morning. I’ll have someone drop off some spare clothes by your dorm later.”

Keith rolled his eyes, deciding that now was a good time to take his leave. He didn’t want to listen to this anymore.

“Don’t be late!” Allura called after him. He flipped her the bird, not bothering to look back as he pushed open the barn door.

 

* * *

 

Near the back of the facility, tucked between the rinks and the pastures, was a small number of dorm rooms for the riders at the academy. As Shiro had explained earlier, it was so the most promising of them could be training constantly in hopes of getting a spot on the US team. Unfortunately, Keith would have to be living with one of them. Now, if only he could find which one was his. He had been glancing between two doors for god-knows-how-long.

“Yo,” came a voice from behind him. Keith glanced over his shoulder, quickly identifying where it had come from. He almost mistook the girl as a middle schooler for a moment--he doubted she even broke 5’. Her short, brown hair was tied up in two little ponytails. She stared blankly at him, reaching up to adjust her glasses once. “You lost or somethin’?”

Keith was tempted to dismiss her but he decided that it wouldn’t hurt to ask. It was better than standing out here all night. “Uh, which one is 24?”

The girl blinked, a faint flare of recognition is her eyes. “Oh. You’re the new kid.” She didn’t give him time to react before tilting her head towards the door on the left. “That one’s it. I’m Pidge, one of your roommates.”

“Oh, um, nice to meet you I guess. I'm Keith.” Roommates? As in multiple? Keith had been under the impression he’d be sharing with one person.

“Cool,” Pidge commented offhandedly. “I'm headin’ out for some real food. Be back in a few.”

She gave a mock salute, turning her back and making her exit. Keith decided if all his roommates were like that, they would get along just fine.

Though, of course, it was never just that simple. The moment that Keith pushed open the door, he was greeted by a loud voice that sounded eerily familiar.

“Hunk, my man, I'm begging you!”

“I'm sorry but no-can-do. Here, at least try one. I think this batch turned out pretty good!”

There was scream and the sounds of someone scrambling, metals pots and pans falling to the floor. “You'll never take me alive!” Keith cringed inwardly as the sounds of screeching travelled throughout the small dorm. The two must have been chasing each other what he assumed to be where the kitchen was.

Keith began inching through the living room, trying to get past the kitchen door without drawing any attention to himself. He just wanted to find where he would be sleeping and, hopefully, not leave that room until he could leave this place entirely.

“Come on, Lance! A little spinach never hurt anyone!”

That name caught Keith’s attention, causing him to pause just in front of the closed door. This turned out to definitely not one of his best decisions.

“It hurt me! Spinach doesn't belong in co-!” The door flung open, the side of it catching Keith in the exact spot where that Thomas kid had punched him the night earlier.

“Shit!” He let out, falling backwards onto his butt.

“I'm so sorry! Are you… Oh fuck no! What are you doing here?” The owlish blue eyes of Lance McClain blinked down at him. The previously concerned expression he wore quickly becoming one of visible disdain. Ah, Lance McClain. The two, although they had practiced together frequently, had barely known each other at the Garrison riding facility. The one thing both were certain of, though, was that they despised the other. Their frequent arguments had almost always escalated into nearly physical fights; the instructors around having to get involved before they actually lunged at each other. He had been on the list of people that Keith was happy to never have to see again. But, of course, he just had to pop right back into Keith’s life.

“Watch where you're going next time,” Keith snapped, pushing himself back into his feet. Before Lance could comment any further, Keith stormed off into one of the rooms which, in an unexpected stroke of luck, just so happened to be an empty bedroom. He face planted onto the bed, screaming into one of the pillows. If he wasn't convinced that the world was out to get him before, he was now. He remained in that position for the remainder of the night, not bothering to get up even when his stomach began to growl angrily. He'd rather be hungry any day than have to deal with Lance-fucking-McClain.

 

* * *

 

By the times he dragged himself from his room in the morning, the 6 am deadline that Allura had set for him had come and gone. Fortunately, also had his roommates, meaning he actually had some time to himself. At least for a little while--he wasn’t sure when they would be getting back. After a quick shower, he lounged on the living room couch, flipping through television stations. He had never been a big tv watcher but it wasn’t like there was anything else to do here.

Just when he had gotten comfortable, his stomach began to growl again. Oh, right. He hadn’t eaten dinner last night. Keith sighed, pushing himself up from the couch and making his way to the kitchen to grab something.

He didn’t bother looking for any other food when he spotted a large container of cookies on the counter. Who needed a healthy breakfast, anyways? He popped open the lid, taking a few before making his way back to the couch.

He found himself fairly content, beginning to munch on the first cookie. That was until he bit into a crunch of something that clearly wasn’t a chocolate chip. He suddenly felt extremely betrayed when he spotted a crunch of spinach stuffed into the middle of the cookie. “What the fuck?” Keith mumbled to himself, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion. It clicked in his mind that this must have been what the two were arguing about. He groaned but continued eating the cookie, not feeling motivated enough to get back up and search for something else.

 

* * *

 

He stayed in that position until around 8 am, when Keith found himself heading to the main ring, dressed up in some riding clothes that he had found on the dining table--someone must have dropped them off while he was holed up in his room. He had eventually decided that he might as well show his face if he didn’t want Allura calling the police on him.

He pushed open the door leading to the ring, wincing at the loud sounds of a huge group lessen. It was a definite difference from yesterday, when maybe two riders had occupied the Olympic-sized ring. Now, there were probably around 20. They were separated into a few smaller groups, each one with a different instructor yelling commands. Even with all the commotion, it was fairly easy to spot Allura, her stark white hair now pulled into a tight bun. He knew that she noticed his presence since she had glanced over at him when he entered but she made no move to acknowledge him otherwise. He was fine with that. Hell, if all he had to do was stand in a corner, he might actually be okay with staying here.

“Allura!” Came the grating voice of Lance, somehow obnoxiously loud enough to be heard over everyone else. Never mind; Keith’s mood turned sour once more. Lance had dismounted from his horse--a bay Dutch Warmblood--and approached the trainer. It must have been the end of the lesson because others had begun to dismount as well.

Lance began speaking up again but Keith rolled his eyes, completely tuning him out. He was ready to head out after the other riders when a hand caught the inside of his elbow. He turned around, his stomach sinking when he found that Allura was the one stopping him. He glanced around, finding that Lance was nowhere to be found. He wasn't sure whether he was thankful or not.

“You're late,” Allura smiled.

“Oh really?” Keith whistled lowly. “Didn't even notice.”

She gritted her teeth together. Keith gulped. “Why don't we go on a little ride?”

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo all the major characters have been introduced wooo  
> Please let me know what you think so far^^  
> And again, feel free to point out any mistakes!!


End file.
